The State of Our Industry

Sundale Research released its most recent “State of the Industry: Florists in the U.S.” independent study containing key statistics and information about the U.S. floral marketplace.

The report states that in 2016, retail florists’ sales industry-wide increased 1.3% to a total of $7.44 billion. The report adds: “After an estimated 1.8% increase in 2017, slower but steady growth is expected through 2021.”

Helping to drive that growth, according to the report, will be millennials, also known as Generation Y. Millennials (comprising people born between 1979 and 1994) are “the future of the florist industry” the report notes with a total population of approximately 70 million. By comparison, the Generation X population in the U.S. (born between 1965 and 1978) numbers about 44 million people.

Of course, as we all know, younger consumers who comprise the Millennial group are highly active on social media. The Sundale Research report states that although younger shoppers “have less brand loyalty,” they are “looking to take part in the development of new products or services through social media interaction.” The report continues: “Thanks in part to their internet and social media usage, these consumers are more educated about products and pricing compared to older generations and are willing to spend more for goods and services from companies that give back to social causes and utilize sustainable practices. Younger consumers, particularly millennials, are also interested in the origin of flowers and the back story of florist retailers.”

Furthermore, “millennials are looking for ways to incorporate nature and living things into their living spaces, as many are buying smaller homes or are living in small urban apartments with limited outdoor spaces. An effective website, Internet and social media marketing, and mobile device shopping, will be crucial in attracting this customer base in the future.”

The Sundale report points out, too, that many young professionals are now taking flower-arranging classes at local flower shops, and, they are now “engaging in hands-on activities such as terrarium bars, facilitating the trend toward customized and personalized products.”

Also of interest in the report is information about ways in which the health and emotional benefits of flowers can be a factor in driving floral industry sales growth. The report states: “The SAF/FPO (Society of American Florists/Flower Promotion Organization) Alliance continues to leverage the positive research findings from the Harvard Medical School/ Massachusetts General Hospital, which definitively concluded that flowers have positive effects on human behavior traits such as anxiety, stress, compassion, and general psychological well-being.”

Furthermore, the report mentions that “National Indoor Plant Week (NIPW), celebrated annually during the third week of September, was established to promote plants and increase awareness of the importance of green and blooming plants in interior spaces. According to the NIPW website, indoor plants are proven to improve the home environment and increase morale in the workplace. The positive health effects of flowers and plants should be heavily promoted by retail florists in order to attract more health-conscious consumers.”

Additionally from a marketing strategy standpoint, the Sundale report emphasizes that although retail florists face competition from supermarkets and other mass market entities that sell flowers, a local flower shop can provide important advantages to consumers. “Florists generally offer a wider selection of products and tend to have higher quality flowers compared to other outlets. These are significant attributes that should be promoted.”

The report continues by saying: “Retail florists are also in a unique position to provide better customer service than most outlets and can communicate the value of flowers and plants beyond price, since these products are their primary business (as opposed to grocery stores, etc.).”

RESEARCH

In-depth report highlights growth data and trends

$7.44 Billion

Total U.S. florists sales in 2016

$563,974

Average total sales per florist in 2016

$4.45 Billion

2016 total sales of arranged cut flowers (59.9% of U.S. florist sales overall)

13,185

Number of retail florists in the U.S. (2016)

FANTASY

Artists Created 40,000 Handmade Flowers for Christian Dior

Wanda Barcelona is a design rm in Spain that specializes in transforming spaces into “a one-of-a-kind world to t your fantasy.”

And that is exactly what the rm’s designers Inti Velez Botero, Daniel Mancini, and Iris Joval did for Christian Dior, the iconic fashion label, in creating hanging floral designs made entirely of paper. Their most recent collaboration, celebrating Dior’s 70th anniversary, was unveiled at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where Wanda Barcelona artists covered the entire ceiling of the museum with striking arrangements of 40,000 hand-made paper flowers.

The “Les Invasions” arrangements are so intricate, they took almost three weeks to install. Every flower was folded and glued by hand. Artists cut more than 7,000 sheets of paper to create 4,500 roses, 4,500 clematises, 1,400 lilies of the valley, and 700 wisteria vines. “We study nature constantly, and we respectfully create our own interpretations in paper,” the Wanda Barcelona rm said.

The group has been working with Dior for more than six years and draws inspiration from the fashion designer’s legendary gardens. Those same gardens have also been a muse for Dior’s own work, including gowns and prints.

To learn more about the Musée des Arts Décoratifs exhibition going on in Paris through January 7, 2018, visit: https://tinyurl.com/y72cbtku.-k